KUIL-LP (AMC 4 @ 101w) to drop Fox affiliation

[alebowgm]

Just got the following e-mail in, should clear up a lingering question.

The affiliation change should not affect our broadcast status on AMC 4. If I find out that it will, I will let you know.

 

[alebowgm]

Station changes won't make Beaumont miss Super Bowl, NBC spokeswoman says >> www.beaumontenterprise.com - Local

An update on what is going on with this, sounds like KUIL may actually get that NBC affilation.

KUIL has been aggressively pursuing an affiliation agreement with NBC since learning about Fox's intent to switch to KBTV, according to Madelyn Bonnot, vice president of operations for Bluebonnet Communications, Inc., the station's parent company.

 

[cracklincrotch]

That certainly wouldn't break my heart. Another network on ku isn't a bad thing.

 

[brentb636]

I agree, an NBC affiliate would fill a definite hole in the lineup.

 

[alebowgm]

I agree, an NBC affiliate would fill a definite hole in the lineup.

Yep, all we would need is a CBS and a CW to fill the hole on the KU side if that is the case.

 

[digiblur]

I replied asking that same information but so far have yet to get a response. However, looking back at old threads here about KUIL that we have had in the past, it appears that the AMC 4 feed is used by the cable companies in Beaumont, TX to recieve the station and distribute at the head end, so I would think that unless that winds up changing it will maintain its status.

But like you, that is more hope than anything (plus, I have hope it will continue to air what I consider to be compelling content).

It was also used to feed the analog signal from the studio in Lake Charles.

 

[mary... the cat lady]

The owner of KUIL-LP and K36ID-LD is participating against KM Communications in an active auction with the FCC for a construction permit to build a low power digital transmitter on channel 43 at the same site as the analog transmitter for KUIL-LP channel 64 is located. KM is not an "authorized bidder" and therefore only one bid has been submitted so far and the owner of KUIL has the potential construction permit at this time. That would give NBC almost double the coverage of just the one LD station should they decide to contract with KUIL, and also permit the continuation of analog transmission long after the transition date, if indeed they do not remove the analog transmitter to make room for the new digital antenna. Also, I makes the case for the possible sale of the analog channel to another broadcaster. Lord knows that KPPY, KUMY, and the LP on channel 39 need the extra coverage. I do not think channel 43 is classified as a "digital companion channel" but I could be wrong about that.

 

[Mr Tony]

thanks for the info and welcome to satelliteguys

 

[mary... the cat lady]

Thank you for the welcome Iceberg. I just wanted to let everyone know that apparently Bluebonnet has won the construction permit for the new LD channel 43 in Beaumont. This should enhance their chances of grabbing the NBC contract. We shall see, I guess...

 

[Mr Tony]

I take it Bluebonnet is another name for National Communications (AKA the same folks that run KUIL)??

 

[alebowgm]

I take it Bluebonnet is another name for National Communications (AKA the same folks that run KUIL)??

It must be, based on the following article I just found...

News of the switch was not as well received at Bluebonnet Communications, the company that operates Fox 29 KVHP in Lake Charles, La. and Fox 64 KUIL in Beaumont.

Super Bowl fumble - News News The Examiner

 

[mary... the cat lady]

National Communications, Bluebonnet, and Sydcom are all the same people.

 

[Mr Tony]

figured that but just wanna make sure

 

[mary... the cat lady]

Bluebonnet has been really good at building out their transmitting operations in reasonable and sometimes, it seems to me, record time. They built the original KUIL analog facility and then got an approved up-grade construction permit and built that out pretty fast, and then got the digtial K36ID transmitter up and running about a year before the construction permit expired. I would expect that they will get the new digital channel 43 up and running pretty fast as well, although the approved origianl construction permit has not shown up on the FCC web site as of yet. I have been checking every day.
So many broadcasters with approved construction permits let them sit for the full 3 years and then at the last minute file a minor modification application which puts off the construction for another 3 years, and so on.
Bluebonnet has done a really good job here.

 

[Mr Tony]

NBC is going to be a subchannel on the ABC affiliate...I guess KUIL Might be Independent??

KBMT12, Beaumont's local ABC affiliate, will begin airing NBC content at the start of next year, while continuing to broadcast ABC programs.

Station officials announced a plan Tuesday to maintain its affiliation with ABC, while also airing NBC content.

The transition that television broadcasters are making to the digital format lets stations provide different programming on digital subchannels, according to station officials. This will allow KBMT to broadcast NBC content while still showing ABC programs on another channel.

Viewers will not have to make any changes to the settings on their televisions, cable or satellite systems, KBMT general manager Mike Elrod said.

"One of the things that will be good for viewers is we'll be carrying NBC in high-definition on Jan. 1, an option that had not been available before," Elrod said.

ABC content is also available in high definition, according to station officials.

The station's agreement with NBC follows an announcement by KBTV4 that it plans to switch its affiliation from NBC to Fox beginning next year.

The Enterprise was unable to reach KBTV general manager Chris Pruitt to discuss whether a dual-affiliation arrangement was ever considered by the future-Fox affiliate.

The Enterprise was unable to contact officials with KUIL-TV 64, the present Fox affiliate.

Madelyn Bonnot, vice president of operations for Bluebonnet Communications, Inc., KUIL's parent company, previously told The Enterprise that the station was pursuing an affiliation with NBC.

KBMT will add NBC shows to its ABC lineup >> www.beaumontenterprise.com - Business

 

[alebowgm]

Worest news possible!

 

[Tron]

The idea of having one network affiliate as a subchannel of another would not be very appealing to me if those stations were local to me. There's only so much bandwidth, so one network would certainly need to be standard definition-only. A subchannel or two is fine, but you can only slice the bandwidth pie so many times before the picture quality turns to crud. I wonder if we'll see more of that sort of thing when OTA DTV takes over completely in February...

 

[alebowgm]

The idea of having one network affiliate as a subchannel of another would not be very appealing to me if those stations were local to me. There's only so much bandwidth, so one network would certainly need to be standard definition-only. A subchannel or two is fine, but you can only slice the bandwidth pie so many times before the picture quality turns to crud. I wonder if we'll see more of that sort of thing when OTA DTV takes over completely in February...

Actually, a lot of smaller markets are actually going into this direction because in DMAs where it is only sustainable economically for there to be one or two local broadcast stations, it enables them to just turn on a subchannel, get access to network programming and fill it with cheap syndicated programming. What you are now going to see is a lot more of these sub-channels with network affiliation and a lot less secondary affiliations.

 

[osu1991]

The idea of having one network affiliate as a subchannel of another would not be very appealing to me if those stations were local to me. There's only so much bandwidth, so one network would certainly need to be standard definition-only. A subchannel or two is fine, but you can only slice the bandwidth pie so many times before the picture quality turns to crud. I wonder if we'll see more of that sort of thing when OTA DTV takes over completely in February...

It depends on the stations equipment also. KXII in the Sherman/Ada dma broadcast both CBS and Fox HD and it looks as good as the separate CBS and Fox affiliates I get at home in Tulsa. They were the first station to install some company's equipment that allows simultaneous HD streams. I've forgotten the details since its been over a year since they started doing this. They had NFL HD feeds from both CBS and Fox on at the same time and the PQ was pretty good, no motion artifacts or anything.

 

[Tron]

Interesting... I wonder how that technology works... They (apparently) can't use MPEG-4 (not part of the ATSC standards, or is it now?), that would really help with the quality issue.